Naturalist's Reflex Camera
The Naturalist's Reflex Camera is a box-form reflex camera made by (or perhaps for) Dallmeyer of London from about 1894.[1] The camera is still listed in Dallmeyer's catalogue of about 1920-30.[2] The camera was made in a number of sizes: quarter- and half-plate, 9x12cm and 4x5 inch.[2]
The camera was made to be used with Dallmeyer's 25-inch f/10 Grandac telephoto lens. This is mounted on an extended lens-board (a 'top hat', essentially) which allows the camera body to be of normal size, and to be used with shorter lenses mounted on less-extended front boards. Two such were supplied with the camera,[2] one intended for the 5¼-inch f/4.5 Serrac (a normal lens for the quarter-plate camera), and the other allowing the Grandac to be mounted without its rear negative group, giving a 10-inch f/4 lens.
The normal camera body is mahogany wood with black leather. It was also supplied as a tropical model in teak with red leather.[1]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tropical quarter-plate Naturalist's Reflex Camera serial no. M 3068, with Grandac telephoto lens, and several plate-holders, sold at the fifteenth Westlicht Photographica Auction, in June 2013. The same camera was previously sold at Christie's in December 2002.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dallmeyer catalogue dated 1920, at Camera Eccentric, page XIII and (more details and prices) page XXVI. The Naturalist's Reflex is the first camera listed in the catalogue, and is described only as 'British Made'; all of the other cameras are listed with their makers' names (including Newman & Guardia and Ross).
